Should Houseguests Get Hot & Heavy?

It's vacation season, and chances are you'll be taking advantage of a friend or family member's spare room sometime soon. When you're staying with a host, is it ever appropriate to get hot and heavy (a la Will and Jada Pinkett Smith)?

Jul 8, 2009

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"No. Skip the sex."

It is never acceptable to have sex at a friend's or relative's house when you're a houseguest. No one wants to think about their sister, parents, kids, friends, etc., "getting it on" in the next room. Preventing this visual can go a long way toward keeping the relationship between the guests and the host warm, friendly, and welcoming.

— Debra Yergen, 38, Yakima, WA

I'm a recent divorcée, and although I was the one who made the decision to end my marriage, returning to singledom is still a difficult adjustment. I recently threw open the doors of my condo for houseguests. I was on the brink of sleep when I heard loud music from the guest room. I was just about to knock and ask politely for them to turn the music down when I heard what the music was meant to mask. I'm thinking of installing a NO NOOKY placard in the guest room — if I'm not sexing up the furniture in my home, no one is!

— Felicia Morgenstern, 40, San Diego

"Get busy!"

It is always appropriate to get hot and heavy, unless you are staying with your parents. Then it's only appropriate to get warm and light.

— Jenny Isenman, 36, Weston, FL

I'm not sure it's "appropriate," but it happens! I wouldn't indulge unless there's a lock on the door and a TV, radio, or CD player in the room that we could crank up (not too loud, of course) to cover our, um, activities.

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